Destroying unused information seems like a no-brainer. You certainly don’t want sensitive information falling into the wrong hands. One thing a lot of people don’t think of is that compact disks (CDs) also need to be destroyed. In fact, one CD can hold thousands of pages of data. One good way to destroy this data is by using a CD destroyer like the Applied Magnetics Infostroyer 101. This is my review.

The Applied Magnetics Infostroyer 101 is a CD destroyer, sometimes referred to as a CD grinder. The science behind the machine is sound. You insert the disk into the machine and it grinds the disk down, destroying the data and making it completely unreadable. The machine is automatic. Put in a disk and the machine does the rest. It can destroy CDs, CD-Rs and CD-RWs.

The Infostroyer is NSA approved (NSA/CSS 04-02). This means it can be used by the government and military for the destruction sensitive and top-secret data. The entire CD grinding process takes about four seconds, which is really fast. This is fast.

The Infostroyer 101 is designed to be portable. It only weighs in at 19 pounds and is available with an optional carrying case with wheels and telescoping handle. This makes the Infostroyer 101 deployable.

Are you feeling patriotic or are you required to buy American? We have you covered. Our entire line of Applied Magnetics shredders, disintegrators and grinders are made in the USA. The quality is unsurpassed.

One downside to the Infostroyer 101 is that it cannot be used to destroy DVDs. It is designed for CDs only. If you are destroying DVDs, you will need to upgrade to the Infostroyer 201 found here.

Overall I am very impressed with the Infostroyer 101 and consider it to be one of the fastest and most efficient ways to destroy CDs. You can find the Applied Magnetics Infostroyer 101 here. You can find our entire selection of CD shredders and destroyers here.

By now most of us know how important it is to shred paper documents when they’re not longer needed, but what about optical media, such as CDs and DVDs? These disks can contain far more sensitive information than a stack of paper. A disk tossed in the garbage can easily be taken out by just about anyone. This article will cover a few different ways you can get rid of old disks.

Breaking the Disk Apart: Disks can be broken apart manually, but you risk possible injury from sharp shards of plastic, not to mention it is very tedious. Also be aware that broken pieces of CDs and DVDs can still be read with the right equipment. This method is not recommended for high security disk destruction.

Optical Disk Shredders: Many shredders are now capable of shredding CDs and DVDs. Simply drop the disk into the shredder and let the machine do the rest. This method of disk destruction is convenient and fast. Be aware, however, that there are varying degrees of security between shredders. Some shredders will only cut the disks into strips, which is less secure. Other high-end shredders will turn the disks into tiny sand-like particles. You can find our CD and DVD shredders here.

Optical Media Grinders: These machines will grind and sand off the surface of a disk. It only takes a few seconds and literally grinds off the data. This technology is portable and fast, but it only works with CDs. Optical media grinders can be used for high-security data destruction. The Infostroyer 101 is an example of an optical media grinder. You can find it here.

Destroying optical media is an important part of any business’s operations. These machines can also be used by hospitals (HIPAA Compliancy), government and the military. Feel free to comment on this post if you have questions about machines used to destroy this information.